1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to pedal assemblies for vehicles and, more specifically, to a pedal assembly with identical first and second housing components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional pedal assemblies known in the art are employed to allow a driver to selectively control operation of a vehicle. To that end, pedal assemblies may be realized as an “accelerator pedal” used to control vehicle acceleration and modulate vehicle speed, a “brake pedal” used to control vehicle deceleration and stop the vehicle, or a “clutch pedal” used to modulate translation of rotational torque between an engine and a transmission.
It will be appreciated that pedal assemblies are used in a number of different applications, such as the automotive, construction, agriculture, recreational, and/or power sports industries. Irrespective of the particular application, it is desirable for the pedal assembly to operate consistently over the life of the vehicle. Moreover, it is desirable for vehicles to operate as efficiently as possible in order to promote reduced emissions, reduced fuel and/or energy consumption, optimized and increased vehicle performance, and the like. Similarly, it is desirable for each of the components of a vehicle, including pedal assemblies, to be manufactured and assembled in an efficient, low-cost manor. However, conventional pedal assemblies tend to employ a relatively large number of different components which need to be manufactured separately and subsequently assembled.
While conventional pedal assemblies known in the related art have generally performed well for their intended use, they tend to be relatively cumbersome to manufacture and assemble, may be relatively heavy and require a large packaging size, and often employ a large number of different components. While these conventional pedal assemblies have generally performed well for their intended use, there remains a need in the art for a pedal assembly which can operate consistently and reliably in different environments, which can be manufactured and assembled in an efficient and cost-effective manor while, at the same time, affording minimal packaging size and component weight, and which can be manufactured using relatively fewer components to effect proper operation in use.